After greeting Himanta, 7 Congress MLAs to get showcause notice

By Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, Aug 28: The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee will slap show-causes notices to seven MLAs, who, along with three others, had gone to the LGBI airport to greet Himanta Biswa Sarma who returned from Delhi today and formally joined the BJP.

Ten Congress legislators - Pijush Hazarika, Pallav Lochan Das, Rajen Borthakur, Kripath Malla, Pradan Barua, Abu Taher Bepari, Binda Saikia, Bolin Chetia, Jayanta Malla Barua and Man Sing Rongpi - were seen greeting the Jalukbari legislator after he landed in Guwahati today from Delhi.

Sources said Rajen Borthakur, Pijush Hazarika, Pallav Lochan Das and Jayanta Malla Barua were in Delhi and had accompanied Sarma to Guwahati. However, Man Singh Rongpi, after meeting Sarma at the airport came to Rajiv Bhavan and participated in the programme organized by the Congress to "celebrate" the exit of Sarma.

Abu Taher Bepari and Binda Saikia told their party leaders their visit to the airport was "just out of courtesy". "We had been working together for years. We just wanted to meet him once," they said, in an apparent explation to their seniors.

"The remaining seven legislators will be issued show-cause notices. Based on their replies, we will take action as per the party rules. Their action is definitely tantamount to anti-party activity," APCC president Anjan Dutta said.

Dutta said the State Congress today organized programmes to celebrate the exit of "filth and rubbish" from the party. "From today, we have got rid of the mess that has been plaguing the party for months," Dutta said.

When asked about probable exodus from the party, Dutta said, "We can't stop anyone. But only those who would remain in the party are real Congressman."